Emmett customers pay it forward until closing

Share this story

EMMETT, Idaho (KBOI) - Servers working the night shift at a restaurant Friday night say one of their regular customers got up to pay his meal and then asked to pay the tab for another table he didn't even know.

The act of kindness started a pay it forward chain at the Cold Mountain Creek restaurant in Emmett all night long.

The staff said they were just as shocked as the people doing the paying.

Kelsey Perlingiero said, "I just liked looking at their faces because it was funny, because they are like 'What? Who paid for us?' And they had no idea who that other table was. And they didn't know how to take it."

At one point the servers say the chain almost died when the place emptied out. One table that got their tab paid for didn't know who to pay next.

"I said we don't have any open tickets right now, I said I've got a to go order? 'Well let me buy that.' You should have seen the look on that gentleman's face when he came in to pick up his to go order and he was told it was paid for," Melissa Capen said.

One customer who wanted to remain anonymous who was there that night said his wife didn't want their tab paid for even though it already had been taken care of. He says she eventually gave in and paid another's tab.

Servers say the chain went on all night long and customers wouldn't even question the bill they were paying. They say it didn't matter how big the tab was or if they had a table of four or if they were eating prime rib, everyone just paid it forward.